A congregate living facility combined application form has been developed to streamline the application process. This combined application obtains the necessary information for the:

development permit,

building permit, and

rental accommodation business licence

If you currently own a building or lodging house in which four or more unrelated individuals occupy sleeping units in the building and share access to cooking, laundry or sanitary facilities, then you require a development permit, building permit, and rental accommodation business licence to continue operating.

If you operate a group home, fraternity or sorority house, then you require a development permit, building permit, and rental accommodation business licence to continue operating.

These types of accommodations will not be approved on sites that already support Major Home Based Businesses, Secondary Suites or Garden Suites.

Group Homes, Limited Group Homes and Lodging Houses need to meet parking requirements.

Group Homes, Limited Group Homes, Lodging Houses, and Fraternity and Sorority Houses must also meet the threshold requirements. A maximum of three facilities per 1,000 persons shall be allowed in any neighbourhood. For example, if the population of a neighbourhood is 3,000, then a maximum of nine facilities are allowed.

Operators of Group Homes, Limited Group Homes, Lodging Houses, and Fraternity and Sorority Houses need to comply with the ‘Best Practices’ for Rental Accommodations Business Licences. Failure to do so can result in fines, licence suspensions and licence revocations.

As long as you have a development permit for a Group Home, Limited Group Home, Lodging House, or Fraternity and Sorority House that matched your operation at the time it was issued and your operation has not changed since then, you will not be required to obtain a new Development Permit.

As long as you have a building permit for a Group Home, Limited Group Home, Lodging House, or Fraternity and Sorority House that matched your operation at the time it was issued and your operation has not changed since then, you will not be required to obtain a new building permit.

If you are operating without the required permits and licence you will be subject to enforcement actions such as a violation notice, fines, stop order, court injunction, and any remedial actions necessary, including being forced to shut down the operation.